A displayed map is often employed to depict a plurality of nodes interconnected via respective links representing a particular relationship between respective pairs of the nodes. For example, the nodes may represent switches in a telephone network with the links representing the level and direction of the data between respective pairs of the switches. (In certain network systems, data is often referred to as "traffic".) In another example, the nodes may represent financial entities (e.g., banks) with the links representing the level and direction of the flow of money from one financial entity to another.
Displayed maps are thus useful in depicting and analyzing the level and direction of the flow of traffic among a plurality of nodes. However, such maps lose their usefulness when the number of displayed links is large, as would be the case in large networks. In such instances, the displayed links become extremely dense, or cluttered, thereby making it virtually impossible to ascertain underlying patterns in the traffic. Accordingly, the informative value of a map displaying an appreciable number of nodes and links is limited as a result of such clutter.